How to use the mass spectrometer radius calculator
Find the path radius of an ion in a mass spectrometer. Enter ion mass, accelerating voltage, magnetic field, charge number in the fields above; the radius is computed instantly and plotted on the chart so you can see how the answer changes.
Formula
Variables
- m — Ion mass (u)
- V — Accelerating voltage (V)
- B — Magnetic field (T)
- z — Charge number
Worked example
With ion mass = 35 u, accelerating voltage = 1000 V, magnetic field = 0.2 T, charge number = 1, the calculator gives radius ≈ 13.46754 cm.
Frequently asked questions
What is the formula for the mass spectrometer radius calculation?
Radius (cm) = √(2 × m × AMU × V / (z × QE)) / B × 100. Here m is ion mass (u), V is accelerating voltage (V), B is magnetic field (T), z is charge number.
What inputs do I need for the mass spectrometer radius calculator?
You need ion mass in u, accelerating voltage in V, magnetic field in T, charge number. Each field is pre-filled with a typical example so you can see how the result responds as you edit the numbers.
How do I use this calculator?
Type values into the input fields. Results and the chart update instantly. Use Reset to restore the example values, Copy results to paste them elsewhere, or Share to copy a link that preserves your inputs.
Is the result exact?
Calculations use standard formulas and double-precision arithmetic, then display about seven significant figures. Real-world measurements carry uncertainty, so treat results as estimates unless your inputs are exact.